When Scott Ferron dons his muppet head and roars up and down Vancouver Island dropping off toys with fellow costumed riders, the smiles on the street make him feel good.
What feels even better for the mid-Island resident and his peers with Helmet Head Canada are the anticipated smiles as they drop toys for kids facing hard times in health.
The Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island confirms those smiles were reality at their two sites where the costumed gang dropped off donated toys.
“A huge shoutout to the amazing @helmetheadcanada for popping by both Jeneece Place and Q̓ʷalayu House with another generous donation of toys! For the younger guests at our Homes, these gifts mean so much – thank you,” a foundation social media post reads.
Ferron, of Crofton, makes the run in his hand-made Animal helmet cover. Helmet Heads Canada sprouted after he was posted to the Island in 2018, growing through word of mouth after a nurse friend suggested Jeneece Place was short on toys.
Adjacent to Victoria General Hospital in View Royal, Jeneece Place – owned and operated by Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island – is a home away from home for families receiving medical treatment in Greater Victoria. With 10 bedrooms, a kitchen, dining, living and play rooms, and a backyard, it’s hosted more than 2,760 families since opening in January 2012.
Similarly, Q̓ʷalayu House in Campbell River offers 10 bedrooms, a large kitchen, dining, living area and quiet spaces with a large backyard for kids to feel at home while receiving health care at the North Island hospital.
It’s just two sites the gang visits each year as Helmet Head Canada volunteers deliver toys directly to hospitals in Greater Victoria to Port Hardy and west to Tofino.
Learn more or donate online at helmetheads.ca.
